LeBron James is among a number of notable athletes who had established great careers before joining teams in Los Angeles. James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers after 11 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and four with the Miami Heat. Carlos Osorio, AP

Manny Machado (Los Angeles Dodgers) - After seven years with the Baltimore Orioles -- including four All-Star selections -- Machado was traded to the Dodgers in 2018. He helped the Dodgers reach the World Series. Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports

Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers) - O'Neal spent his first four NBA seasons with the Orlando Magic. In 1996, he signed with the Lakers, then spent eight seasons with the team and won three NBA titles. ROBERT HANASHIRO, USA TODAY

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers) - After helping the Milwaukee Bucks win their lone NBA title, Kareem went to the Lakers, with whom he won five more titles over 14 years with the team. REED SAXON, AP

Wilt Chamberlain (Los Angeles Lakers) - Chamberlain spent his final five seasons in the NBA with the Lakers, with whom he won an NBA title in 1972. WEN ROBERTS, AFP/Getty Images

Karl Malone (Los Angeles Lakers) - Malone played the final season of his 19-year Hall of Fame career with the Lakers, playing in the 2004 NBA Finals. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY

Gary Payton (Los Angeles Lakers) - Payton played one season of his 18-year Hall of Fame career with the Lakers, playing in the 2004 NBA Finals. CHRIS CARLSON, AP

Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) - After playing 10 seasons and winning four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, Gretzky signed with the Kings and played in L.A. for eight seasons. RON FREHM, Associated Press

Kirk Gibson (Los Angeles Dodgers) - Gibson spent three seasons of his 17-year major-league career in Los Angeles, where he won an NL MVP award and the World Series in 1988. His World Series Game 1 home run is one of the iconic moments in the game's history. Rusty Kennedy, AP

Manny Ramirez (Los Angeles Dodgers) - After hitting 500-plus home runs through eight years apiece with the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox, Ramirez joined the Dodgers in 2008. Reed Saxon, AP

Joe Namath (Los Angeles Rams) - After spending the first 12 seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the New York Jets, Namath spent his final NFL season (1977) with the Rams. Getty Images, Getty Images

Reggie Jackson (California Angels) - Jackson spent five seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the Angels, signing with the team after winning two World Series with the New York Yankees. MCLENDON, Associated Press

Rod Carew (California Angels) - After 12 seasons and seven batting titles with the Minnesota Twins, Carew played the final seven seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the Angels. REED SAXON, Associated Press

David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy) - Playing for Manchester United and Real Madrid, Beckham was one of the most famous athletes in the world when he signed with the Galaxy in 2007. He finished his career with the team by winning back-to-back MLS Cups. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY

Zlatan Ibrahimović (Los Angeles Galaxy) - After playing for some of the most famous teams in Europe (Ajax, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United), Ibrahimović signed with the Galaxy in 2018. Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports

Carlos Vela (Los Angeles FC) - One of the most popular Mexican national team players joined the expansion MLS team LAFC for its inaugural season in 2018. Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports

Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries: